INCLUDES HOT VIDEO OF COOL EVENT | See how music, makers, and “chill” crowds transformed a hot afternoon on S.E. Foster Road …
People stroll the sidewalk while browsing art, food, and craft booths at the 4th Annual Foster Road Summer Soirée along S.E. Foster Road.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The 4th Annual “Foster Road Summer Soirée” turned a hot Saturday afternoon of June 13 into a mellow community street fair along S.E. Foster Road – primarily between 58th and 72nd Avenues – in the Foster Area Business Association district, where that thoroughfare divides the Foster-Powell and Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhoods.
Come along on our video tour to see the highlights of this year’s event:
From noon until 6 p.m., the corridor was filled with music and vendors – and neighbors strolling past tents and shopfronts.
Under a summery hot sun, the crowd was good‑natured – taking in arts, crafts, food, and clothing offered by local makers and organizations. In Laurelwood Park, live music provided a soundtrack, as families and friends moved out to explore the action along the street.
Under her canopy at the 4th Annual Foster Road Summer Soirée, Helen of Seven Herons Studio shows one of her signature artworks.
Built by a tiny team
Event organizer Eric Furlong described this year’s Soirée as a grassroots effort powered by small crew. “I was one of a very small team – just three of us – in organizing this,” Furlong told East Portland News – including getting the permits from the city, booking the bands, and coordinating the marketing.
Because grant funding for business associations is not guaranteed, organizers expanded the number of pop‑ups to help cover permits, insurance, portable toilets, entertainment, and henna art – this year’s Summer Soirée had a mostly-self‑sustaining budget.
The day was not just for shoppers – many families gathered to simply enjoy the music, food, and neighborhood atmosphere at this year’s Summer Soirée.
More than 100 vendors – plus neighborhood shops
The Soirée hosted more than 100 vendors, with 89 pop‑ups organized by the Foster Summer Soirée team. Those included 501(c)(3) nonprofits, mutual aid organizations, and independent makers, while additional pop‑ups came at the invitation of nearby brick‑and‑mortar businesses.
“More than 20 brick‑and‑mortar businesses participated and celebrated,” Furlong reported.
Visitors encountered a fantasy series book author in a full velvet sorcerer costume, along with plant‑based gelato, fresh‑squeezed lemonade and kombucha, candles, massage therapy, recycled glass bubblers, and a wide range of art.
For Furlong, the highlight was simple: “The best thing to see was all of the foot traffic in the local businesses, bars, and restaurants!”
The man showing off his woodworking is Paul Phillips from Foster Creativity – he’s displaying a handcrafted cutting board.
A “chill” crowd on a hot day
The afternoon ran unseasonably warm, yet the crowd moved easily through the stalls along Foster Road, lingering at booths, chatting with volunteers, sampling drinks, and browsing handmade goods while others sought shade and music in Laurelwood Park, a wedge-shaped space between Foster Road and Holgate Boulevard.
Our favorite stop was just across from the small park: K & B Bakery, where fresh fortune cookies and buttery almond cookies tempted passersby.
As the Foster Summer Soirée heads toward future summers, organizers plan to keep balancing the books with vendor fees, while preserving the community spirit that drew neighbors out to enjoy the neighborhood along Foster Road this year.
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
